How can one make a fortune in the crypto world? How can ordinary people quickly turn their fortunes around and make big money?
Last time, I shared valuable insights on holding coins, and today I will continue discussing two paths suitable for ordinary people to make money: holding coins and airdrops, along with several specific airdrop cases to help everyone avoid detours.
Crypto World: The Last Chance for Ordinary People to Change Their Fate
The crypto world may be the only opportunity for ordinary people to 'overtake on a curve' in their lifetime. Why? Various industries have long been monopolized by capital, and the opportunities to leverage technology and intellect to create wealth are minimal. Choices are more important than effort; working can only solve basic needs and will never make you wealthy. The crypto world offers us a stage to 'bet small to win big.' I even believe this is the last chance for the poor to turn their fortunes around; it’s fleeting, and if you miss it, it may be gone.
But don’t rejoice too soon. The crypto world has many opportunities, but it also has many pitfalls. Various 'masters' are competing, and stories of sudden wealth abound, but many more end up crushed. In the previous Binance vs. FTX battle, many big players fell, including the 'crypto god' of the 90s, Curly Explosion Head, who met a tragic end. Newbies are especially unfortunate; seeing cases of 'losers making a comeback' on TV or apps, they think they are the chosen ones, fantasizing about turning 100 into a million. It sounds great, but if you’ve ever worked hard, you know this is pure nonsense. In reality, the high achiever in (Crash) only exists in dramas, and in the crypto world, you still have to kneel when necessary.
Pathway One: Holding Coins is the King’s Way for Ordinary People
In my opinion, holding coins is the most reliable way for ordinary people to make money in the crypto world. Most other methods are dubious and can lead to disaster if not managed well. Use spare money to hold coins, and don’t mess around. Newbies should focus on Bitcoin; so-called 'hundredfold coins' or 'thousandfold coins' are scams designed to exploit you. If you want to develop long-term, you can allocate a small amount to altcoins, but Bitcoin must make up the largest portion.
How to hold? The core is fixed investment; holding coins is king.
Don't go all in, don't borrow money, don't gamble recklessly. There are many opportunities in the market; keep your eyes on the long term.
I’d like to share my 'Seven Iron Rules for Holding Coins':
Fixed investment, no all-in: No matter how good the opportunity is, don’t bet everything. Going all-in during a crash is a big taboo. Cultivate a systematic mindset, dance with the market, and act like a regular army, not a bandit. Mindset first, buy and hold: Choose good coins and don’t look back after buying. Don’t fantasize about timing the market perfectly; watching the market every day will only drive you crazy. Learn more and read more. Improve your allocation, diversify: Don’t heavily invest in any coin (except Bitcoin). Choose the leaders in each sector and spread your investments. Withdraw your principal first: Once you make a profit, withdraw your principal and secure your earnings, don’t hesitate. Hold firm, maintain confidence: Choose valuable coins, hold them, and don’t waver. Don’t regret, don’t hesitate; long-term holding is the way. Don’t chase highs or sell lows: Can’t help but want to chase? Uninstall the app, don’t watch the charts or news, buy and hold, be patient. Risk control: Maintain respect for investments, be cautious, only use spare money, and never borrow. Short-term profits are hard to come by, and gambling is a big taboo.
When to buy? Build positions in a bear market, increasing positions when prices drop. Start with 40% of your funds, buy heavily during major drops, moderately during small drops, and aggressively during crashes. Don't chase after increases; hold your base position, what is there to fear? When a bull market arrives, news will flood in shouting 'Bitcoin hits a new all-time high'; sell in batches, exit 40% at your psychological price, and let the rest sit.
Pathway Two: Airdrops
Besides holding coins, airdrops are another profitable path suitable for ordinary people, especially for those with limited funds. Airdrops are when project parties distribute tokens to you for free, usually to promote their project and attract users. However, airdrops also carry risks, such as project scams, token devaluation, or encountering fraud, so one must be vigilant.
The benefit of airdrops is that the threshold is low, allowing ordinary people to participate. The downside is that the returns are unstable; you may spend time without gaining anything, or you might receive tokens that are not worth much. However, if you choose the right project, you could earn dozens or even hundreds of times your investment.
Here are some specific airdrop cases:
Case 1: Uniswap (2020)
Uniswap is the leader among decentralized exchanges. In September 2020, when it launched the governance token UNI, it conducted a classic airdrop. Users who had traded or provided liquidity on Uniswap before September 1, 2020, could claim at least 400 UNI for free. At that time, 400 UNI was worth about $1,200, and later the price of UNI peaked at over $40, worth $16,000. How to participate? At that time, you only needed to have swapped coins or deposited funds on Uniswap, and the airdrop was automatically sent to your wallet. This type of airdrop is called 'retroactive,' rewarding early users and reminding us to frequently use reliable DeFi protocols; you might get a surprise one day.
Case 2: Notcoin (2024)
Notcoin is a chain game project based on Telegram, which became popular worldwide through 'click mining' airdrops in early 2024. Users play simple mini-games in Telegram, click the screen to accumulate points, which can be exchanged for NOT tokens. There are no technical barriers, and ordinary people can accumulate a lot of points after playing for a few days. After the airdrop ended, NOT was listed on exchanges, and early participants earned hundreds to thousands of dollars. How to participate? Join the project's Telegram group, follow the instructions to play games, accumulate points, and exchange tokens during the airdrop. This type of airdrop is suitable for newbies who have time but not funds; they can earn by putting in their effort.
Case 3: Optimism (2022)
Optimism is an Ethereum Layer 2 network that conducted an airdrop when it launched the OP token in 2022. Users who had made transactions, provided liquidity, or participated in the testnet on the Optimism mainnet could claim OP tokens. Some early users received tokens worth thousands of dollars, and later the price of OP increased several times. How to participate? At that time, you needed to make transactions on Optimism (such as cross-chain transfers or swapping coins) or participate in testnet tasks. This type of airdrop is suitable for those willing to spend some gas fees and actively engage with Layer 2 projects.
Case 4: Bored Ape Yacht Club (2021)
NFT airdrops are also very popular. Bored Ape Yacht Club (B-star NFT collectors) airdropped Mutant Serum to all BAYC NFT holders in 2021. Holders could use the serum to 'mutate' their original BAYC NFT into Mutant Ape NFT, worth thousands to tens of thousands of dollars. How to participate? Hold BAYC NFTs to automatically receive the serum. This type of airdrop is suitable for NFT players, reminding us that holding quality NFTs may bring unexpected rewards.
How to find reliable airdrops?
If you want to participate in airdrops, you need to learn how to find projects. Here are a few tips:
Follow reliable platforms: Use websites like defilama, DappRadar, rootdata, etc. frequently. Join communities: Follow official project accounts on X, Telegram, Discord; airdrop information is released immediately. Be cautious of scams: Don’t click on suspicious links and don’t disclose your private key. Do your homework: Research project backgrounds, whitepapers, and teams to see if they genuinely have potential. Network and exchange ideas: Enter the circles of experts, communicate with knowledgeable friends; working in isolation is not viable.
The crypto world has changed, but opportunities still exist.
The current crypto world is no longer the era of chaos. Old money is banding together; their capital is in the hundreds of millions, and they are satisfied with a 20%-50% profit. However, with only 10,000 or 100,000 in capital, one can only rely on holding coins and airdrops to multiply their investment. Holding coins is a long-term strategy: build positions in bear markets and reap rewards in bull markets; airdrops are short-term opportunities: low-cost trial and error, and hitting the right one can yield huge returns.
In specific operations, focus on Bitcoin, with altcoins as a supplement, and choose leading projects in each sector. For airdrops, try reliable projects and keep your wallet safe. If you have less capital, focus on Bitcoin and free airdrops; if you have more, you can diversify your investments. If you want to learn more about choosing altcoins, asset allocation, and timing for building and exiting positions, follow me, and I will discuss in detail in the next issue.
In conclusion
A fan went all-in on a house, investing over 20 million in the crypto world, asking me what to buy and how to invest.
I can only say: newbies should focus on Bitcoin.
If you want excitement, allocate some to altcoins, play with airdrops, but ensure Bitcoin has the highest proportion. Choose quality projects for airdrops.
The crypto world is full of opportunities, but it can also be a trap. If you want to change your fate, first control your hands and stabilize your heart.
I am Zihao, skilled in medium to short-term contracts and medium to long-term spot layouts. I regularly share investment tips and detailed strategy teachings. Follow the account (Hao Ge Talks Coins) to plan together for 2025!
